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Relevant economic issues concerning the optimal rate of inflation

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Author Info
Diego Rodriguez Palenzuela () (European Central Bank, Kaiserstrasse 29, D-60311, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.)
Gonzalo Camba-Mendez () (European Central Bank, Kaiserstrasse 29, D-60311, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.)
Juan Angel Garcia () (European Central Bank, Kaiserstrasse 29, D-60311, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.)
Abstract

This paper reviews the key economic issues concerning the welfare costs of inflation and deflation, with a view to shedding light on the desirable properties of the inflation process. Our review of the evidence on the overall costs of inflation and deflation indicates that such costs could be even higher than previously thought, also at moderate rates of inflation, thereby strengthening the case for price stability. We also review two of the arguments usually invoked for maintaining a small positive rate of inflation - the potential alleviation of poor economic performance arising from downward nominal rigidities and the role of sustained inflation differentials within the euro area. Recent evidence suggests that the macroeconomic relevance of these two factors is minor, even when considered in combination, although this assessment remains surrounded by high uncertainty. JEL Classification: D60; E31; E41; E61; H21.

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Paper provided by European Central Bank in its series Working Paper Series with number 278.

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Length: 44 pages
Date of creation: Sep 2003
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Handle: RePEc:ecb:ecbwps:20030278

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Keywords: Price stability; inflation costs and benefits; downward nominal rigidities; inflation; differentials; deflation.;

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Full references

Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Felix Hammermann & Mark Flanagan, 2007. "What Explains Persistent Inflation Differentials Across Transition Economies?," Kiel Working Papers 1373, Kiel Institute for the World Economy. [Downloadable!]
  2. Jesús Crespo Cuaresma & Maria Antoinette Silgoner, 2004. "Groth effects of inflation in Europe: How low is too low, how high is too high?," Vienna Economics Papers 0411, University of Vienna, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  3. Steinar Holden & Fredrik Wulfsberg, 2007. "How strong is the case for downward real wage rigidity?," Working Papers 07-6, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. [Downloadable!]
  4. Knoppik, Christoph & Beissinger, Thomas, 2005. "Downward Nominal Wage Rigidity in Europe: An Analysis of European Micro Data from the ECHP 1994-2001," IZA Discussion Papers 1492, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
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  5. Philip Du Caju & Catherine Fuss & Ladislav Wintr, 2007. "Downward wage rigidity for different workers and firms - an evaluation for Belgium using the IWFP procedure," Working Paper Series 840, European Central Bank. [Downloadable!]
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  6. Steinar Holden, 2004. "Wage Formation under Low Inflation," CESifo Working Paper Series CESifo Working Paper No. , CESifo Group Munich. [Downloadable!]
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  7. Steinar Holden & Fredrik Wulfsberg, 2008. "Downward Nominal Wage Rigidity in the OECD," Advances in Macroeconomics, Berkeley Electronic Press, vol. 8(1), pages 1651-1651. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  8. William T. Dickens & Lorenz Goette & Erica L. Groshen & Steinar Holden & Julian Messina & Mark E. Schweitzer & Jarkko Turunen & Melanie E. Ward, 2007. "How wages change: micro evidence from the international wage flexibility project," Staff Reports 275, Federal Reserve Bank of New York. [Downloadable!]
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